Combination couch and bed structure



Nov. 16, 1943. L. c. JOHNSON COMBINATION COUCH AND BED STRUCTURE Filed June 11, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet l 3nventot:

- KA /r5 C Jaw/ 750m Nov. 16, 1.9 3- L. c. JOHNSON COMBINATION COUCH AND BED STRUCTURE Filed June 11, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zhwentor [4K5 CT do/m'so/ Gttorneg Nov. 16, 1943.

L. c. JOHNSON COMBINATION COUCH AND BED STRUCTURE Filed Jude 11, 1941 s Sheets-Sheet s 3nventor:

14/175 C. Jaw/r30:-

attorney Patented Nov. 16, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT;LI OFFICE I V j t 2,3.s4,493 V r w 1 otii/iBmA'rIoN ooUoIi AN IiBnD" srnno'runs- Lake 0. Johnson, Panama Calif; 1 Applicant's Junei'i, 1941, Serial noiss igsi H (cit-547 v 4"Claims; This invention relates to convertib'le 'iurhiture and particularlypertains to "a trolley-hinge. -Yarioustypes of convertible furnitur'are'nowbeingmade which are intended to serve the'purpose of a couch and a bed. Thesestructuresare so designed as to providega'basehavingthe di-' mensionsof an ordinarycouch with seat andback sections articulately connected to each other and the base, whereby these sections may be disposed with the'back portion in an' upright position when the article of furnitureis 'used' for a couch and with the back and seat-disposed in a common horizontal .plane when a bed is desired." The articulate connection between the base, back and seat portions is known to the trade as a trolley hinge. In the operation of these devices it is necessary to lift and shift the seat portion and thereafter, move the seat and back portions into alignment. "This operation islaborious due to the weight of the back and seat portionsandlit i's the principal object of th'e'present'invention to provide a trolley hinge structure in which the various weighted parts. are counterbalanced with spring means associated with the trolley" hinge and included in the trolly'hingeunit, whereby theback and seat portions maybe moved toand from their difierent positions with ease, a'ndmay be temporarily latched' in either of their extreme o ti V I The present invention contemplates provision of a base carrying pivotal links upon which hinge brackets of a'couch se'atlaridback are pivotally secured, said bra'cketsqbeingffitted with latch means whereby they may be disposed in'lo'cked and released positions, thebracketsfanddinks carrying spring counterbalance members tending to yieldably assist movement of the elements and. to thus partially support the load imposed by the weight of the back portionand theseatfportion as they move to their various positions. i

The invention is illustrated" byway of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1. is a view in side elevationshowing the normal position of the couch with the back in its substantially vertical position.

Fig. 2 is a view showing the couch in an intermediate position with the' back disposed horizontally;

Fig. 3 is a View showing the back and seat sections disposed in horizontal alignment-to form the bed. i

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. butrshowing the opposite side of the structure-to moreclearly disclose the relationship "of the supporting links,

and also indicatesflthe balanced intermediate position of 'the back and seat in dotted lines. 7 :Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view' indicating the tripping-action of thelock means when the lock structure is insthe intermediate position shown =in-.Fig. 2. g V fFlg. 6 is a viewin transverse section as seen on the-iinet-t of-Fig. 2 showing the pin lock; Fig '7 is a view in vertical section as seen on the line 'l--! of Fig; 3 and shows details of the hinge construction. a I V Referring more particularly tothe drawings, l 0 indicates a base-structure. This structure includes the usual" rectangular frame having front and rear rails ll and IZ- andopposite end-rails |3. .InFigu res 1 1; to 4--o;f;the drawings it is to be understood thatthe base structure and the cushion arrangement areiindicated. generally, and that the details of-cushioning and vupholstoring the various parts are not involved in .the present invention Mounted upon opposite ends l3 of the base frame are fastening brackets l4 and I5 Thebracket [lisdisposed substantially in (vertical. alignment below aback section It and is fitted. withaa pivot pin l1. This'pivot pin extends horiz'on'tally 'and ispivotally connected to a link l8 which when the back is in its normal vertical position will stand. substantially vertically. "The bracket '15 is fitted withapivot pin I9 farldis pivotally connected to a link 23; The

link 'Zde'xtends upwardly beneath a-seat sectioii 2| and is disposed at an angle to-the general position ofthe link l8 when the link I8 is vertical. 'I'heba'cksection l6 has at-rigid-frame structure 22 to which ahingebracket123 is secured, This hinge bracket vextends substantially horizontally when the backsection is in its normalpojsition and'with the back section inclined'normally. The upper end of thelink i8 is pivotally-secured to the hinge bracket 23 by apivot pin 24; The hinge bracket maybe gene'rally" considered as being triangular. At the outer point thereof a pintle' pin 25 is secured and passesthrough an opening in' the upper end of the link 29. This pin also'passes through an openingin the upper end of a hinge bracket 26 which is secured to the'irame structure 21 of the seat"se'ction 2T. By' this arrangement the pintle pin 25 secures the hinge brackets 23 and Z-B'in' pivotal connection and also insures that the 'pivotal-"axis-of'the hinge brackets 23 and 25 and the-pivotalconnection of the link 29 are coincidental. "It willthus be'seen that the hinge brackets 23 arid 25 arehinged together by the pivot pin "25: andthat'the links la and 20 ditively, of the back and seat.

rectly support the back section [6 and the seat section 2| through the medium of said brackets. The brackets 23 and 25 are fitted with bolting flanges 28 and 29 by which the brackets may be bolted to the frame structures 22 and 21, respec- Attention is directed to the fact that at all times the link pivots l1 and I9 will be fixed relative to the base, and that the pivots 24 and 25 securing the links [8 and to the hinge structure will always be spaced closer together than the spacing of pivots l1 and 19. This is for the purpose of counterbalancing the back and seat portions and holdv ing them in extreme positions, as will be hereinafter explained. It is also to be pointed out that the base is formed with a recess l3 in the upper face of each of the end rails l3 to receive the seat frame 21, and that the inner edge of this frame will abut against a shoulder 21' when the back and seat are in their normal position, and that the pintle pin of the hinge and link 20 will have passed'over theaxis of the pivot pin l9. Thus, the back and seat will rest firmly in position until positively moved.

- As shown in Fig. '1 of the drawings, the back element is maintained in its upright position with relation to the seat element by a latch bar 30 which is pivotally connected to the hinge bracket 26 adjacent to its lower edge by a, pivot pin 3|. An outturned extension 32 is formed on the end of the latch bar adjacent to the pin 3!. This extension has an opening 33 through it to receive one leg of a U-spring 34. The opposite leg of the U-spring 34 lies against the bolting flange 29 of thebracket 26 and tends to urge the free end of the latch bar 30 toward its lowermost position. The free end of the latch bar 30 is formed with a latch notch 35 along its lower edge. A latch pin 36' and keeper 36 are carried by the hinge bracket 23; This keeper'is substantially U-shaped so that the free end of the latch bar 30 may move longitudinally through it as it moves from a latched to an unlatched position, or vice versa., Carried upon the free end of the lock bar 30 is a latch detent 31 which is pivoted to the bar at 38. V This detent is fitted with a shoulder 39 so that when it isdesired to release the lockbar the detent will hold the latch notch 35 away from the member 36 and permit'the hinge bracket 26 and the seat section 2 l to swing downwardly to the position indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. 7

.As previously pointed out, the trolley hinges comprising brackets 23 and 26 are designed to support the weight of the back section It and the seat section 2| in their difierent'positions while shifting with relation to the base ID or while being moved with relation to each other to and from the positions indicated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4. The resistance to, the shifting movement of the back and seat sections is to an extent counterbalanced by a spring 40 whichis of the helical type andis formed with hooks 4| and 42 at its opposite ends. The hook 41 engages an eye in a lever extension 43 secured to the link 20 and is disposed at right angles to the link 20 and p0- sitioned adjacent to'the pivot IS. The hook at the opposite end of the spring 40'engages an eye ina lever extension, This lever extension is carried bythe link. l8 and is disposed substantially at an acute angle thereto. It will be seen from; an examination of the dotted line showing in Fig. 4 of the drawings that at the timethe links I 8 and 20 arein positionjto support the back and seat sections at an intermediate balanced position with the seat section and the back section at angles to the vertical that the lever extensions 43 and 44 are ubstantially in horizontal alignment with their eyes at the shortest distance between each other. This makes it easy to shift the back and seat in either direction and insures that as the back and seat are moved toward and away from their intermediate position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4, the spring 40 will counterbalance the parts. Attention is directed to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, Where it will be seen that in normal position of the back and seat the link I8 is substantially on dead center, and the link 20 has swung a considerable distance over its pivot pin l9. In the dotted line position indicated in Fig. 4 the Weight of the back and seat is directly supported on link 20 while these parts moveffrom the position indicated in Fig. 1 to the position, indicated in Fig. 3. This insures that when the back and seat sections move toward positions at either side of this centered and balanced position the spring 40 will tend to counterbalance the weight of the back and seat. It is to be understood that while the spring 40 is shown connected to the members 43 and 44 that separate springs might be used. In order to balance the weight, of the back and the seat with relation to the action of spring 40 it is evident that the eyes in the levers 43 and 44 may be spaced to obtain the proper leverage action. It will be seen in FigS. 2 and 3 that in these positions the lever extensions 43 and 44 are at their greatest dis-.- tance from each other so that the spring 40 will at this time be under extreme tension, and so that whenthe' parts are manipulated to restore the back' section [6 to a substantially vertical posie tion and .theseat. section to its original horizon taLpositionthe spring 40 will tend to contract and aid in counterbalancing the load and shifting the parts from the balanced position. i

' In'addition to the counterbalancing action provided by the spring 40 the hinge brackets 23 and 26. are provided with a counterbalanced spring 45. This'spring is of the coil and hairpin type; that ist'o say ithas a central coil 46 represented by a plurality of convolutions arranged in helical shape, the 'opposite'ends of the spring terminating in legs 41 and 48. The leg 41 is fixed to the hinge bracket 23 upon a bolt or pin 49 adjacent to the lower edge of the bracket when considered in its normal. position with the back disposed substantially vertically. Theleg 48 is secured by a bolt -or pin 50 carried by the bracket 26 along the edge contiguous to the bracket 23. Thus when the hinge brackets swing toward each other the spring legs 41 and 48 will swing toward each other and the convolutions of the coil portion 46 "will be coiled as resistance is given to the movement of the hinge brackets 23 and 26 toward each other, and will'tend to recoil and swing the hinge brackets 23 and 26 to their outermost positions while counterbalancing the weight of the seat section as it thus moves. 4

The spring 45 is of greater strength than represented by the weight of the back and seat sections. Thus when the seat and back are horizontal there is a tendency for the back section to lift and to swing on the pivot pin 25. 'In order to hold the'seat and back in rigid rlationto each other when horizontally disposeias indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, it is desirable to provide a hinge lock generally indicated at 55 in Fig. 6 of the'drawings. This lock comprises a reciprohas held the hinge brackets 23 and 26 in their eating pin 56 extending through the leaf of 'iim i wit th l as ii alii ss iafikfiil z. ll e r si e' Q -.:t .th lin i las t a 1 1 Q Qi i F -WW hli qq $1? 11 .56.. so that the pin will slide into the notch andtenb ra i v. h th a wn a aiaswha at qn s la f laa jsl tea. .Z-iand s gn. is to be. understood tms description that whiIe 0116mm 11 M... the-draw n il -v cluding the hinge brackets and the links that..

mb a qsitiii; t aw s? n ith l f. x ht n ws e tut a n. t ...v

eventjsrirfinjgs' 4U andq'fi are only needed. at on 11 9 end to d fn 'e 'b la fth W i ht t e maybe: Q

used 'Assuming that in th e initialtposition the 1; back section I 6 and the seat section are show n 5 as in his. th h n ra et 23 2s .wflhbe.

n w e imto e' qho her sub a ti lly to their extreme position of .separation....f1he

brackets will: be locked in, this position by them: lock ba r 30, the notch-1 50f which engages the '7 pin of the member 36 ar 1d holds the, back section in its substantially yerticalposition, as shown in, Fig. 1. When it is d esire d to convert the structure from a, couchjto a bed the forward edge of the couch is'swungupwardly, As thistakes place the hack section lfiwill swing downwardly while; the seat and backsections remain in their origi-. nal positions with relation to each other as. held by the lock bar 38. Movement from this, posi-.

tion v'v'illbeassisted by thespring .40 whichtends, to hold the links I8 and 20in the position shown by dotted' line's inFiglA of the drawings. As theseat section 2| is'swung upwardly it will shift forwardly on th e links I8 and and the back; section l6 willswing dowmvardly, softhat these sections will assumethe position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. After the backsection has come. to rest in a horizontal positionthe seat section is tilted upwardly. and re arwardly a short distance farther; This will pull the notch 35 of the lock bar 3llforwardly with relationte pin,36 and liil bar 30 is so designed as to release the lock inthe link li'ib ith .aa tion Qf b dete t. 1.331153, srpoint 3 eathe, in 6 ge ste with the notch ant-the; 1 9k barrio.andithew oo e 5 pv s twesto i .6..- asrweiias, whens register ;.w1th: :the. head 51 0f the lock; pin. ,-;1Thi'S moyesthe lock .pi-n- 56;;11'113Q-fth8, notch-16.0 on-llinlsu; 20 and 'as the bar 3Q mpves with the seat sectionr i c tin es t be r-a ai st the h ad 15.1 a drh ldw -2 .1 i tha no c 6.0-; Thenianyitendencyw fonthe paclgsection I 6 torise omforthe twoysec-w tions to. piuot 9n the aggis 25 of the hinge :bra'cketsl rbs elimin t d, -.Thu .-;the.1 a drba k will. 1:- assum l'loriz o ntall ,y aligneda .positionspfonn the p rpo -10f makin a :bedaand; the back; section,

will pe logked in this -po sition. =.,As shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the movement of the-seat 1301...:

a position of horizontal-alignment with the back 16 will causethe 1 h nge ,brack'ets 23 and 26 to swing towards each other around the; pivot :25 -r:

while .fqrcinsthe leg -Aland 4150f the springylfi -z ether so that -theywill assume the position It Will-lube "evidentthat this;action, -of the spring will tend indicated in :Fig, 3of .-the drawings.

to cushion the downward movement of the-seat. section, and thatjwhen-thestructure is again re-r stored to its; normal position-to perform the functions of a-couchthis spri -ng will vaidpin sllpporting theweight of the seat section. 1 WhenEit is desired torestorethe'back and seat sectionslfi and. 2| to their ,original.;positions-w forminga couch the forward edge of the seat .sec-

tion is .elevated- -;to substantially; the position shown in Fig. 2 ;of; the drawings: The-spring 34 W l n 110 fi e'lock bardownwardly-as it is drawn through the. member H36: and; thus the pix-r35; of; elementfifi will engagetheshoulden of thelatch notch :35, .and holdzthe-hinge bracket back section lfland the seat section-2.! will be angularly. disposed as shown.- in:. Fig-r12... As. the

Seat ectio ssw supwarmy-m the position icated i lEi 210i the drawings it willrbe evi dent that the end of. the head 51- ofthe .pin: 56-

willbe bearingagainst the sideface-of the lock 5: bar .30; ;When the notch 3510f thelock bar comes to register with the pin .of the-yelement 3B the opening]. 58.in,thelock bar130 will be inexactv register,with.the; head 51 0f; the pin. This willpermitthehead of the. pin :to move into theholei58: while the opposite-end of te pindsretracted from engagement. with the notch 601in1the link=--. This will unlatchmhe link 20 with relation .to the bracket .of; the-hack sectiontand will permit-2 the bracket. 23 to; swing upwardly. aroundthe hinge will permit the shoulder 9.01; the detent. 31 to. pass overand to engage, the lockpinportion 36'. of theinie nber 36 nsthe seat is slightly; 10w: ered thedetent 31 will act to lift the free end of the lock bar 3 0 so that the groove 35 will ride over the pin36'. The seat is then free and is lowered forwardly and downwardly as it swings on the pivot pin of the hinge brackets 23 and 25. It is to be understood that while the lock bar 7 latched position as disposed at an angle to each other, the head 51 of pin-'56 seats within the opening 58 in the lock bar 30, and the pin is retracted from the plane of travel within which the link 20 moves. The latch structure of the 7 pin 15;;ancl for thelinks l8 and 20 to swing upon theiI1Divots,- H and l 9 from the .position shown in Fig.2 to the position shownin Fig.1. iltwill be seen that during this motion the links [8 and e 20 shifttheassembled backand-seat sections-from a foremost positiomas shown in F-igs. 2 and -3, to

a rearmostposition asshown in Fig. l; This-also;

sure isithen applied tothe forward'edge of" the seat section'so that the seat and back sections will shift togetherupon-the links l8*and 29 to the original position indicated in Figul. The spring 40; which is under tension-while the back" and seat sections assume horizontal positions or when the back and seatare in a couch position,- will contract at the intermediate position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4 and will aid in supporting the weight and in shifting the sections toward their extreme positions. It will also be evident thatdue to the arrangement of the links 18 and 20 and the angular disposition of their lever arms 43 and 44, the spring Ail will tend to maintain the back and seat sections in'theposition indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4 of the drawings and to. counterbalance them as they move in eitherposition therefrom;

It.-will thusbe seen that the trolley hinge structure here shown discloses simple" and effective means, whereby the back section and the seats-ection'of a couch may be disposedin positions to the parts will be counterbalanced during transi tion ofthe'parts from one position to the other.

' serve as a couch or bed, and that the weight of It will further be evident that the structure here shown provides automatic means for looking thehinge when the seat and'back parts are in their horizontally aligned position so that there will be no 'possibility'for the structure to fold together accidentally, the structure further acting to automatically release when a'norrnal operationtakes place to manipulate'the seat 'so- 7 thatthe seat and back sections may move to their original positions forming a couch.

While I have shown the preferred form of rny invention as now'known to me; it will beunderbination, construction, and'arrangements of parts by those skilled in the art'without departing from the spirit of my invention as claimed.

, stood that various changes may be made in com-' Having thus described my invention, what I" claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A combination couch and bed, comprising a horizontal base structure, a seat section normally resting thereupon, a back structure disposed substantially vertically at the rear edge of the seat structure, hinges articulately connecting the contiguous edges of the back structure and the seat structure, a latch engaging a hinge to hold] I the back and seat structures-in their normal 'po- 1 sitions and to permit the back and seat structures to'swlngto horizontally aligned positions, a

pair of links for each hingestru'ctur'e, one of said links'being pivotally connected to the hinge leaf" of the backlsection and extending downwardly ing toward each 'otherand lying in substantially the same plane yvhen'the back section and the seat'section are at a balanced intermediate position, and a spring yieldably connecting the free, ends of the two link levers and tending to act to cushion the weight of" the seat and ba'cksections as they swing from their intermediate balanced position.

2. The structure of claim I together with lock means cooperating with one of said links and acting to maintain the back section horizontal while permitting free swinging movem'ent' of the seat section to a horizontal positionwhen the latch' is released.

' 3. The structure of claim 1 together with lock means cooperating with one of said links and I acting to maintain the back section horizontal while permitting free swinging movement of the seat'seotion to a horizontal position when the latch is released, and a springdisposed be' tween the leaves of the hinge and being placed under compression when the leaves are moved to their closed'po'sition and the back and seat sections are horizontally disposed, whereby said spring will tend to' counterbalance the weight of the seat section as it'is swung toward and away from its'position of horizontal alignment with' the back section.

4. A combined couch and bed, comprislnga horizontal base structure a seat section normal- 1y resting thereon, a back section disposed substantially vertical at therear edge of the seat section, hinge'brackets, one'se cured to each of said sections at contiguous edges thereof, a pintle' pin connecting complementary brackets, yieldable'means associated with said brackets and tending to urge them toa folded position as as sumed when the seat and back'sections rorma couch, 'a link engaging the pintle pin at its upper'end and being'pivotally mounted on the base" at its lowe'rend, said last named pivot being in advance of the position of the pintle pin when a couch is being formed, a link pivoted at its up per end to the hinge bracket carried by the back section, a fixed pivot carried by the base and upon which the lower end of said link is mounted, said link standing substantially vertical when the structure forms a couch, lever arms, one formed and vertically to be pivotally fiXed' to the base when the back section is in its substantially vertical-position, the other of said links being piv oted on the pintle pin of the hinge, said links acting to shift the hinge structure forwardly from a folded position through an'intermediateposition to an unfolded position, the lower .end extending rigidly with each of said links and'being directed toward each other, and a tension spring connecting said'lever'arms, the'arms being in spaced parallel'planes when the hinge structure is in eitherv of its extreme positions, whereby to impose ten'-' sion upon the spring and lyingin'a' common plane when the structure is in its intermediate position whereby the distance between'the free ends of the arms will be shortened and tension on the spring relieved;

LAKE c. JOHNSON. 

